What does "Free" Mean?

EDIT: This originally began as an ad for Nodeka and grew into a discussion on the definition of "free" in games. With the blessing of the original poster I have moved it into its own thread -- Lasher.

Quote:

For those interested, Nodeka is now no longer requiring donations to remort. Below is a list of only a few things we have to offer. Visit us on the web at: Nodeka :: Crossroad to a Thousand Journeys
Or on the MUD at nodeka.com port 23

N [O D E K] A

o Auto-updating REAL-TIME over head map displaying TRUE field of vision
o 500+ skills and spells including: rune-ring, mental tempest, hammer
o 126 classes including: monk, ataelos, khehusod, witch, druid
o 80+ races such as: Onillin, Ryven, Rhras, Gaa'el, Jadior, Red drake
o A quest system that'll blow your mind:
o Story-like quests that have multiple outcomes
o A morality system based on YOUR quest DECISIONS
o Stored all completed quests - see summaries whenever you want
o Tracked open quests and current state - pick up wherever you
left off (have tons of open quests and never forget where you are)
o A skill/spell system using 'preventions' that create not only a fast
paced, but a highly strategic, combat system
o Customizable output - including shrinking and expanding combat
output and hiding things you don't want to see
o 5 Huge continents
o 100+ Areas covering villages, cities, dungeons, bogs, plains,
mountains, oceans, lakes, jungles and much, much more.

I'm at a loss here. I've never played Nodeka or read a review for it. Looking at the website and the list of features in the OP, this looks like a very cool mud, one I would definitely try. Reading the review that KaVir posted the link to, this looks like a mud I will never try (not just because of the donations mentioned -- the review seems to disparage the areas and quest system as well). Since this is a promotional thread anyway, maybe the OP can respond to the review?

I'm at a loss here. I've never played Nodeka or read a review for it. Looking at the website and the list of features in the OP, this looks like a very cool mud, one I would definitely try. Reading the review that KaVir posted the link to, this looks like a mud I will never try (not just because of the donations mentioned -- the review seems to disparage the areas and quest system as well). Since this is a promotional thread anyway, maybe the OP can respond to the review?

Nodeka used to require donations for remorting- it no longer does.
Yes you get roleplaying points for donating, there is talk of removing that- however nodeka is not a RPG you do not roleplay. Roleplay was tried and removed- however something had to be done with the points that were awarded for people who did roleplay at the time. Currently roleplay points come from questing and player killing.

Practices can be bought with platinum( the games currency ) or sun stones( reward for donation also awarded via Player Killing/questing ), statistics can be increased via sun stones as well- which can come from questing/player killing as well.

We currently have been having lots of 'mud events' and many more are planned for the future.

As far as area's go I can't argue there are some boring and honestly lame areas. Nodeka however generally has thought out areas that have a story with them.

Come check us out, you will get hooked and love it. Nodeka is always growing, sometimes the changes come in small steps, sometimes in huge steps.

I am more than happy to answer and posts left here. And yes this thread was to bring attention to nodeka, but not in the "omg we so rock come playz" more of the "Hey everyone that always wanted to play nodeka but refused due to donations, guess what- come play!"

As a PS: we have been donation free to remort for quite a few months now, now that it has been a while I felt it was time to share on a global scale.

You do not need the extended map to play nodeka it is 100% playable and enjoyable with the normal map. The extended map is simply a conveinance for donators.

The extended map is a feature that requires a 2 dollar donation for a month or a 20 dollar donation for the year.
Basically the extended map is a much larger version of the normal map.

Ah, then I misunderstood your original post - by "100% free to play" I assumed you meant that 100% of the content could be earned or accessed for free (i.e., without making purchases). Otherwise you could have just argued in the past that the mud was "100% free to play" on the basis that you don't need to remort in order to play and enjoy the game.

As someone who is interested in competitive play, being able to compete on equal footing with paying customers is important to me - but far more important still is that I at least have the potential to earn everything that a paying customer can buy. That's what I thought you were suggesting, and thus my reply.

Once again I really wish we could all come up with some standard terminology for the different payment methods. If pay-for-perks with payment required to unlock certain features is "100% free to play", what do we call pay-for-perks where everything can also be unlocked through normal play? What about muds where there is a registration cost, but where you can still literally play for free? Or muds where there are no costs at all? No wonder the newbies get confused.

Ah, then I misunderstood your original post - by "100% free to play" I assumed you meant that 100% of the content could be earned or accessed for free (i.e., without making purchases). Otherwise you could have just argued in the past that the mud was "100% free to play" on the basis that you don't need to remort in order to play and enjoy the game.

As someone who is interested in competitive play, being able to compete on equal footing with paying customers is important to me - but far more important still is that I at least have the potential to earn everything that a paying customer can buy. That's what I thought you were suggesting, and thus my reply.

Once again I really wish we could all come up with some standard terminology for the different payment methods. If pay-for-perks with payment required to unlock certain features is "100% free to play", what do we call pay-for-perks where everything can also be unlocked through normal play? What about muds where there is a registration cost, but where you can still literally play for free? Or muds where there are no costs at all? No wonder the newbies get confused.

Everything except for the extended map can be unlocked via normal game play.

In fact you can function and player kill without the map at all and be on the competitive edge- but that would require some dedication and not all are up to the task. In the end it boils down to a larger overhead map as a reward for those that help to keep Nodeka running.

The only way donating really allows you to "get ahead" is when you donate on others for ingame payment. Which can happen on any game- The ingame rich selling ingame currency/items for real life goods( in this case a monetary donation )

Its essentially a get rich quick scheme- and it takes quite a bit of donating on others if you want to speed to the top( not to mention time.)

Im more than happy to discuss with anyone if they have questions, comments, and/or concerns.

I believe most players tend to think that any advantage whether it be through registration, donation, or extra perks for donating time to create, etc, is always viewed as "unfair". The trouble is, Games aren't meant to ever be perfectly fair and can't be.

It is impossible to make any game online completely fair. To do this you would have to restrict online "time" on the game to each player to an hour setting like 2 hours per day (as stated by Threshold, some people have a rediculous amount of time to play), you would have to limit typing speed by all players to say 40wpm, else it would be unfair because players type faster, you would have to limit vocabulary, because those with a high educational level have an unfair advantage in an rp environment, or mathematical advantage in a meta-gaming environment.

a mud that offers no in-game benefits(in-game items, house, skill boost, unlocking extra areas) via donations is a COMPLETELY FREE mud and gives the most fair-gaming experience.it's that plain, simple..

if a player(all players) is doing all his/her deeds ICly, doesn't put any real life scent into his/her character and if s/he has the right to have more free time in real life and that's quite fair and nothing to do with the game itself.

What you are saying is simply an "opinion" just like mine was. Free can mean any number of things. Completely Free means that you don't pay to play. That can mean, completely free for 30 days, completely free for a year, completely free for forever. Just because a game is completely free, doesn't mean it cannot have benefits for those who support it.

This is an age old argument I've seen on many forums including many Mud's personal forums. Your game is Free if one can play it without paying upfront. Otherwise it is pay to play. Neither represents a better environment, however, I will say from past experience (over 10 years of playing and progging a variety of games), if a person never pays for what they play, they take zero ownership in it and many times end up having a lack of respect and responsibility both for the game and their character.

While NW is free, I admire many of the games that do have registrations and have a good solid players who support them. I am one who supports pay to play or registry games and will continue to do so and give credit where credit is do.

I believe most players tend to think that any advantage whether it be through registration, donation, or extra perks for donating time to create, etc, is always viewed as "unfair". The trouble is, Games aren't meant to ever be perfectly fair and can't be.

I think what most posters on this Forum react negatively to is not the pay-for-perks per se, but the fact that the Muds that use them like to advertise themselves as 'free to play', 'totally free', and in Nodeka's case '100 % free to play'. If a pay-for-perks game is '100 % free to play', how do you describe the Muds where you cannot donate, or in any other way pay for in-game benefits? No wonder new players get confused.

This has been an old issue for years, and still tends to fester many discussions, since it was never resolved. The general tactic from the commercial games seems to be to claim that the opponents are against all commercial Muds, which is not the case. What people are against is misleading information to potential new players about the nature of a game.

During the old regime, there was a request from a pretty large number of members, about adapting the search engine, so that it would be possible to search for truly 100 % free games, versus the many variations of pay-to-play and pay-for-perks that exist. The request was turned down back then, but since there is a new management now, here is a new request.

Could we please have such a search engine implemented?

If the intent really is to make the site more attractive to players and not just to Mud Admin, this would be a very valid improvement. A service like this would certainly be appreciated by those players who get confused by the present conditions. On top of that, it would also once and for all get rid of an old issue, that tends to pop up from time to time.

I think what most posters on this Forum react negatively to is not the pay-for-perks per se, but the fact that the Muds that use them like to advertise themselves as 'free to play', 'totally free', and in Nodeka's case '100 % free to play'. If a pay-for-perks game is '100 % free to play', how do you describe the Muds where you cannot donate, or in any other way pay for in-game benefits? No wonder new players get confused.

This has been an old issue for years, and still tends to fester many discussions, since it was never resolved. The general tactic from the commercial games seems to be to claim that the opponents are against all commercial Muds, which is not the case. What people are against is misleading information to potential new players about the nature of a game.

During the old regime, there was a request from a pretty large number of members, about adapting the search engine, so that it would be possible to search for truly 100 % free games, versus the many variations of pay-to-play and pay-for-perks that exist. The request was turned down back then, but since there is a new management now, here is a new request.

Could we please have such a search engine implemented?

If the intent really is to make the site more attractive to players and not just to Mud Admin, this would be a very valid improvement. A service like this would certainly be appreciated by those players who get confused by the present conditions. On top of that, it would also once and for all get rid of an old issue, that tends to pop up from time to time.

If you want to get picky there is no 100% free to play game out there, there is always a cost. My opinion is that if you do not have to pay in order to access all of the games features or do not have to pay for subscription then it is free.

Paying for perks is exactly that- paying for perks.

I like your idea of being able to search for 'free muds' though, however as it boils down to someones opinion who is to say its truly free? I pay for the interweb, so the game isn't really free by proxy.